Yeah, I know 2k10 isn't out yet (but it will be in 4 days... I need to finish up some homework by then!), but for 4.99 (download, so need internet) you can download the 2k10 Draft Combine game. Basically, you get to create a guy (very customizable) and run him through 6 games and 6 drills. He will be imported into 2k10 and you can do a "superstar" version.

I've been playing around with the combine and I will be trying out the whole ordeal in 2k10. I'm having a fair bit of fun right now trying to get my guy drafted.

It's not easy. I've created two guys, a 6'8 SF is "All-Around" and a 6'6 SG who is an "athlete". I had to delete the SF to make room for the SG though, which is a shame.

It's worth noting that the guy you create it TERRIBLE. My SG athlete has the athleticism (70 speed, 73 quickness, 70 vert) I'd expect from a 6'8 SF who isn't considered an athlete, and my SF seems about as athletic as a 6'10 post playing PF. The SF couldn't hit an open jumper to save his life - I was probably averaging 30% on open Js. The SG has done a little better, but that might be because I am using Durant's release and it seems to work well for hitting deep midrange and 3point shots... but "well" is a funny term, I am still awful at hitting the open looks. Both guys are in the 40s for overall ranking.

SF would've been a late 2nd round pick, but I didn't really know what I was doing for the first few games. One thing that is kind of cool (and annoying) is that you get a grade based on how good of a teammate you are. Ball-hogging, forcing up bad shots, calling for the ball a lot, letting your man score (... at all) gets you dinged. Dunking, defense, passing well, setting screens, tipping and stealing passes, that all gets you good marks. There's incentive (skill points to raise your attributes) to being a team player, plus supposedly it'll help you get drafted.

Through 2 games, Kyle "Radja" (sounds almost like a bad pronunciation of my last name) is averaging 20pts, 4 assists, and 4 boards while playing lights out defense while also being a great teammate (A- grade). Of course, I'm expected to go in the 2nd round at pick 21 (San Antonio, Trav) right now. I'm hoping to push myself into the first with 4 more good games, but we'll see. It's hard to imagine playing any better when I'm supplying half my team's offense and holding my opponent to about 4pts a game. Offensively, I do a bit of everything because I don't do anything well enough to rely on it alone. Defensively, it's actually pretty easy to shut your man down, if you play tight defense he won't get many looks. Big-men look to have things a little easier, might be worth trying at some point.

Anyone else playing this or looking forward to 2k10?

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.

I've dinked around with it a bit... It's insanely hard to get even a remotely decent prospect built up, so it was a little bit frustrating (Though I quite like the gameplay/camera/updates/etc). I created a 3-point shooting PG who couldn't break 25% on an outside shot, so I think they've got the rook prospects ridiculously underpowered.

It's supposed to be a 'Superstar' sort of mode, not a 'Professional Benchwarmer' mode.

I'm loving 2k10. I just created a SF (76 ovr) and swapped him with Stephen Jackson of the Warriors. The Warriors are a really fun, and frustrating, team. Monta Ellis can be unstoppable, Stephen Curry sometimes is good but once I get his shooting up he'll be great at nailing open looks, Biedrins is an awesome pick-and-roll threat, and... well... Anthony Randolph rebounds at least. Azbuike and Maggette off the bench work well too, and Acie Law isn't bad either. 'Course, there is NO defense. At all.

Stomped the Grizzlies and the Clippers, but when I went against the Celtics I really had to change things: Ray Allen did dirty things to me on offense, and I swear Kevin Garnett has a force field that makes scoring impossible when he is on the court - even open looks didn't fall. I was down by as many as 19 points at one point but I fought back for a slight lead before losing by 7. In 2k9, no way I'd have lost, I wasn't losing the last few months. Then I played the Suns and that was a nice back-and-forth game, that I lost by 2. Actually, I blame that on the stupid free throw angles - how the hell can I hit a shot when I'm getting a close up of Monta Ellis' mug?

Still, loads of fun. Having a challenge is nice. Being on a bad team is a lot harder this year. Though some of that is how unsuited my team is to my offense. I run a lot, but I get tons of open looks... that my guys miss. Even Curry. Monta Ellis is a baller though (18pts 10assists), he gets in the lane all day long.

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.

I haven't picked it up, yet. Definitely plan to soon, though, as it's been pretty well demonstrated that the NBA 2K series has some absurd longevity in my console. Didn't even realize it had already been released, heh -- Work's had me tied up most of the last couple weeks. I'm off this weekend, but I'm hoping SK will keep me tied up with the kiddos out of town.

I think the Spurs are my next team, alas I had to come down south to the hotel for work so I won't be able to play until Sunday night. I actually think they'll be very strong in this game, just from understanding the pieces and the game mechanics. When you have a lot of offense, it really helps in this game because defenders are way more likely to help... leaving guys open. Tony Parker's quickness will open up the offense a ton, fast PGs are a godsend in this game. On defense, I imagine Duncan will have a "sphere of influence" like KG had, probably smaller but he should stuff anything inside. They could end up as one of my favorite teams to play as, lots of weapons and strong D.

Downside is, I have some trouble with post offense still. It changed a lot and I'm still figuring out what buttons to push to do what.

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.

So I created an all-around point guard (6'1") who's terrible. When I first created him he was a 39 and is now a 42 after playing 8 games. I didn't even get invited to an NBA training camp... i'm playing in the D-League right now. I average like 6ppg, 7apg and 3 rpg. im having a hard time getting a good teammate grade because the guys on my team miss so many of the shots i pass to them. This sucks.

Finally picked up the game, and have only been playing around with the first person career mode.

I'm a fan of relative realism, so we ended up going with a 5'10" PG. 3pt Specialist. Kinda slow, mediocre ball handler, somewhat injury prone... sounds about right. *heh* Been focusing a good deal of my upgrades in the various mental stats. He's currently a 46 Overall. Woo.

After the summer circuit, I ended up hanging on for a whole two games at the Spurs training camp before finding myself kicked to the D-League. At the moment, I'm riding the bench for the Austin Toros. Trav2k10 is playing relatively well... better than expected, if nothing else. Averaging about 5ppg, 6apg, 1rpg, and 1 steal. Doing pretty well on the teammate grades, overall. Average hovers around B or B+.

Being small with a high awareness doesn't have MANY advantages, but there are a few. Pretty good sneaking around with off-ball screens, and have gotten solid with the pick 'n roll. Figure a year or two in the D-Leagues and he might be able to grasp on to a real team somewhere.

I'm doing MUCH better now, I made another scoring point guard who's 6'4" and I'm absolutely killing with him. I'm averaging a healthy 13 ppg, 5 rpg, 12 apg and an A- team player rating. So far I'm in day 4 of training camp with the Denver Nuggets, after the summer circuit I was having a hard time deciding which team to go with for training camp so I ended up going with the hometown team.

Hey Kyle -- I'm a Realistic Stats wonk. Have you found some ideal settings to get consistently reasonable statistics? I was doing pretty good with 2k9 playing All-Star with 11 minute quarters. What's the equivalent with 2k10, if you've found one?

Is there anyway to tweak the Career Mode, or are you locked in at 5 minutes?

I'm the same way, and I've been trying to figure out what leads to it.

I've been doing All-Star 2k10 with 10 minute quarters and my scores are fairly realistic (110ish ppg as the Warriors, which seems reasonable), but I'm still shooting an insanely high % (70) with Ellis, Magette, and Beidrins. Stephen Curry is "terrible" and by "terrible" I mean "realistic" at .420, which wouldn't bother me except he takes maybe 2 contested shots a game. He gets more open looks than anyone else but can't hit them from midrange or beyond the arc.

There are a few major problems. Aside from the overall state of defense (I can guard fairly realistically, but the computer is awful), on offense I've noticed that shot-stick shots are WAAAAAY less accurate, guys are unable to catch-and-shoot (have to catch-and-pause, then shoot, which is so hard to do since reaction times are very high), and I still can't promise that I will get my shot off when I post up. Haven't figured out the new mechanics. I think if you go on All-Star 10 minutes and tweek the sliders (more in shooting, less in layup/dunk) you'll get realistic play and stats, but I haven't messed around because my roommate considers that "cheating" even when I am lowering my own sliders, and he can be really annoying when he wants to be...

As for the Career, I've heard if you go through the 5 dollar draft combine you can, but not if you go through the in-game version. Lame, I know. Not sure how, though, I want to be a halfway decent player, not a POS, so I am just creating characters and playing association.

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.

So, took a break from watching my crappy PG doing spot duty at SF for the Austin Toros and fired up a Spurs franchise.

I'm kind of on the fence... there are things I like better about 2k9 and things I like better about 2k10. The post game has changed quite a bit. Last year I could pretty much just pop the ball to Duncan and let him back everyone down, post move, voila. This year that method is all sorts of likely to get your pass picked off if you don't work your angles right. Probably more realistic that way.

You're right, the defense can be horrible at times... other than the increased frequency of swiped passes. Occasionally it's my own fault. If I slip an inch off my guy, someone rolls over to help out... and the computer immediately tosses the ball to the newly open guy for an easy hoop. Defense is a little "too" responsive, seems to be the problem at first glance. Way too quick to ditch their guy to play the ball, leaving too many players open.

Haven't gotten the new isomotion down too well, either. Seems twitchier than last year. Also noticed Parker coming down the floor has two gears... walk too slow to make half court in time, or sprint wildly out of control. I'm not finding the ability to get that lollygag jog in between.

Still, the game comes out pretty Spurs-like in the end, so the simulation aspect still seems to be pretty solid. Tony Parker had 16 points and 12 assists. Duncan got 28. Manu was horrible ineffective with 4 points, but didn't seem to get too many minutes. Lost to the Hornets by about a dozen -- Lot of that having to do with being unfamiliar with the new feel of the game.